ABSTRACT
Chapter 12: This chapter notes that the opportunity that tourism offers for positive economic and social benefits for tomorrow will depend on the decisions being made today. One of the key issues today is understanding how to develop tourism in a sustainable manner without compromising the opportunity of future generations to enjoy the benefits of tourism. To accomplish positive management of sustainable tourism in the future will require transforming some of our current thinking, practices, and behavior in such a way as not to have negative interventions on the natural and built environment. This chapter also explains the background and information about the “Ten Important World Tourism Issues for 2020” noted in Table 12.1. These are all important issues to review in developing a strategic sustainable tourism development plan. Many of these issues will continue to be an integral part of the tourism industry for the foreseeable future. The case study for this chapter highlights a unique sustainable tourism destination in North Carolina. The Village of Bald Head Island was fortunate in that the land owners and developers of the island worked together toward a sustainable tourism development strategy that included all the land on the island. As noted in the case study, the Village of Bald Head Island meets National Geographic’s Sustainable Tourism Initiative’s criteria for a sustainable tourism destination.
